No Miracle This Year: Reflections on the LSU Game

by John Expat on Nov 29, 2009 10:48 PM CST in Arkansas Razorback Football

For me, the most painful part about the loss to LSU was just how close we came...not just to winning, but to winding up in an upper tier bowl that would have made a major "we've arrived" statement to recruits, opposing teams and fans nationwide.

Thanks to Ole Miss' straight-out-of-the-Houston-Nutt-playbook loss to Mississippi State, the Hogs were looking at a guaranteed Cotton Bowl slot, if not the Capital One Bowl, with a win in Baton Rouge. Think about that for a second - for all the ups and downs of this season, we would have essentially placed 3rd in the SEC. Ahead of Ole Miss, ahead of LSU, ahead of everybody not named Alabama or Florida. Instead, we're in the middle of the pack with everyone else, wondering what might have been with a defensive stand here or a made field goal there.

Although the raised expectations are what make the loss the hardest, as I reflect back on the season I'm realizing that it was probably never meant to be. Bill Parcells likes to say "you are what your record says you are", and in this case I think the Hogs' record is exactly right. A Capital One Bowl berth would have been a bit of a (very nice) fluke...all things considered, we're a 7-5 team, for better or for worse.

At 7-5 we're a few big notches behind Florida and Alabama, but only a play or two behind LSU and Mississippi. I honestly think we would have beaten both of those teams in Fayetteville. At 7-5 we're noticeably better than Mississippi State or Vanderbilt, but otherwise at about the same level as South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Auburn. All those teams have impressive strengths and glaring weaknesses, and all of those teams are capable of beating just about anyone on a good day, but in the end they're all 7-5. Just like we are.

The good news is that we're at the upper end of 7-5...with a more favorable bounce (or referee's call) here or there we easily could have been 9-3. But, 9-3 teams make those plays and we didn't...so, 7-5. It's disappointing knowing how close we came to something bigger and better, but we've come a long way and - most importantly - are on the right track for something more next season. In 2010, we most definitely should be more than a 7-5 team and that's cause for excitement. But, in 2009 we are what our record says we are.

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Comments

Well said, John.

We are a strong 7-5 team. All 7 of our wins have been convincing and 3 out of the 5 losses have been “close” with the Hogs having a 4th quarter lead in two of those losses. But as you said, we are a 7-5 team and a deserving team would have found ways to win those games. The hogs and the fans definitely suffered through growing pains this year and I predict next year we will see the dividends.

by marquisc51 on Nov 30, 2009 12:43 AM CST reply actions

7-5 is great for this team considering the weak defense. The Georgia, Florida, and LSU games are wins with tough D. Yeah, yeah, I know that Arkansas is great in red-zone defense, but that statistic overlooks all the big plays that were snapped off against this D. ‘Career day’ was a phrase heard all too often after our games. Let’s hope they get this part of the game corrected for next year. We know the offense will be good, but we can quit talking about an SEC championship unless the D improves. Forget Tejada. If we make a stand against LSU in the last minute, game over.

All that being said, I am still pumped for our bowl and for next year!

by hawgpapa on Nov 30, 2009 1:18 AM CST via mobile reply actions

Totally Agree

We are a middle of the pack defense from being in the upper tier of the SEC. All we needed is a defense in the 5,6,7,or even the 8th spot in the conference, our offense would have done the rest. If the hogs can get that corrected then we’ll move up in the pecking order of the league. But we don’t have to worry about HDN and the ole miss rebs after this year when all those seniors from the other guy leaves, we’ll just have to try to close the gap between us and the tide.

by arky-chief on Nov 30, 2009 7:08 AM CST reply actions

2010, Oh No!! Expectations!!

This team grew by leaps and bounds as the season progressed. Yes, the defense was extremely soft throughout but I felt they too made some improvement. The 2010 schedule sets up very nicely for the Hogs. I think the LSU game put to rest any fears that Mallett might decide to test the NFL waters. It is obvious with more polish, like that which will be provided by another year under Petrino, Mallett can truly become a force in the SEC. I realize people are already thinking Heisman, but let’s not get carried away just yet. Do I think he will be a contender, yes I do. But more importantly, I think the Hogs will be a contender for the SEC West. The best is yet to come. It should be a fun ride next year. With an extra month of practice before our bowl game, the future of the Arkansas Razorbacks appears to be a bright one.

by bradodickey on Nov 30, 2009 10:33 AM CST reply actions